Steve Usher - Woodturner
Nature is the Artist
I am the Craftsman
Together we create beautiful bowls.
Introducing Steve
Looking at my work you will find it hard to believe that my interest in woodturning began out of a necessity to earn a living while setting up a small vineyard in Tasmania. My lifelong love of trees and timber sent me off on a course with a well known woodturner in the North of Tasmania. Armed with a little knowledge and a lot of enthusiasm I set out to enhance what nature has created.
The vineyard is long gone but my passion for woodturning remains.
Products
The shape and design of each bowl is determined by the timber, allowing the grain to be seen at its best. When someone says "What a beautiful piece of timber!", only then have I truly succeeded.
The unseasoned or green timber is roughly turned into the shape I require then sealed and left to dry for up to 18 months. The bowl is then returned to the lathe to be finished, sanded, sealed and polished.
All bowls are individually crafted so no two are the same. Each bowl is signed and numbered by me.
My work has not only been sent all around Australia but also to Canada, America, UK, Europe and Asia.
Please take a look at my work and if you are captivated by my style please purchase through the online catalogue.
Timbers
The beauty and diversity of Australian timbers is admired worldwide.
My favourite has to be Huon Pine - Lagarostrobos franklinii. It has a remarkable history, some specimens still growing could be over 5,000 years old. Distribution is restricted to West and South West Tasmania where it is found along river banks and other scattered wet areas. It can be recognized by its feathery foliage and drooping branches similar to the common cypress. The durability of the wood is due to an essential oil which gives it a pleasant fragrance. In years gone by it was used for shipbuilding and furniture, and has remained the most prized of rainforest timber.